ICU refers to Intensive Care Units that is a multi-purpose healthcare facility that provides critical care to patients with an acute, life-threatening illness or major injury.
Critical care is provided by highly experienced physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals using several medical devices. Here are 5 that are used daily in ICU’s to save patients lives.
1: Medical ventilators
Ventilators are used in most intensive care units. They help the patients by assisting the lungs in breathing. Some patients suffering from severe pneumonia, accidental injuries, or stroke can all benefit from having a ventilator to assist them in breathing by using an endotracheal tube. A ventilator is essentially used for short periods like during surgery.
Patient monitors are used to checking the vital physical parameters including:
- Temperature
- Blood pressure
- Pulse rate
- Heart rate
These monitors record and store the information about patient’s vital body signs and monitor diseased conditions. Cardiac monitoring is done by electrocardiography (ECG) continuously or by repetitive cycles. It monitors blood pressure and heartbeat continuously. Respiratory monitoring is performed by checking the level of oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide concentration. Alarms will sound when the vital signs fall below the usual parameters.
3: Dialysis machine
For some patients in intensive care units, Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) is performed under the supervision of extremely experienced physicians. It is a preferred type of dialysis performed on critical patients with acute kidney failure. Dialysis machines remove extra waste, salt, and water from the body keeping a safe level of other essential chemicals in the blood.
CRRT can be performed 24 hours a day to constantly clean the blood from extra waste. It is performed until the patient shows signs of kidney recovery.
Infusion pumps are used to deliver medicine or other nutritional fluid to a patient’s body in a measured amount. Medication like insulin or antibiotics flow through the tubes into the patient’s body.
5: Urinary catheters
Urinary catheters are used in ICUs to check the hourly output. This allows an estimate of fluid intake and how much fluid is excreted. These are used when patients have renal problems. Patients facing urinary tract obstruction, a bladder tumor or urinary tract stones also use urinary catheters to drain the bladder.
This is just a small sample of some of the medical devices used in intensive care units.
